A new study found that South Korea saw particularly clear skies last fall thanks to a decrease in China’s air pollutant emissions and a change in the patterns of precipitation and winds.

According to the academic sector on Monday, such an assessment was made in a paper published in the Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment by Professor Lee Kwon-ho of Gangneung-Wonju National University and researcher Shin Sung-kyun at the Seoul Institute of Technology. The paper studied the changes in the density of air pollutants of South Korea and China between 2015 and 2021.

According to the paper, China came to emit less pollutants with its coal-fired power plants suspending operations after they became submerged due to major floods in inland areas last year. The paper also noted that China’s northeastern parts saw heavy rainfall and strong winds in September, resulting in less pollutants making their way toward the Korean Peninsula.

Shin also attributed the decline in pollutants to a change in rainfall and winds patterns resulting from climate change.